Stories about Misbah-ul-Haq

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The last time the Pakistan Test team toured South Africa was in 2013, the year Pakistan, to everyone’s surprise, lost the Test series. The main problem was with the batting which seriously failed to live up to peoples’ expectations.
Almost six years later, not much has changed, aside from the exclusion of Younis Khan and Misbahul Haq. This time, Pakistan has a slightly younger squad, with Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman at the forefront. In spite of the younger players, the Pakistan team batting line-up still remains a major concern.
Pakistan’s recent Test form hasn’t been great. In Pakistan’s last two ...

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One cannot recount Pakistan’s rich cricketing history without giving adequate importance to the players who made their mark and kept the green flag flying high. Taking into account the fact that some of its finest players of the past decade or so recently put the curtain down on their careers, it is apt to shed some light on what made them such great contributors to Pakistan cricket.
Be it the aggression of Shahid Afridi, the flamboyance of Abdul Razzaq, or the stability and permanence provided by the stalwarts in the shape of Younis Khan and Misbahul Haq, Pakistan cricket was truly blessed to have such impact players at its disposal.
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Growing up in a perpetual shadow of conflict and turmoil, Younus Khan and Misbahul Haq were two beacons of calmness that you could count on to somehow make things better. We are fortunate enough to be in the same era as them, watch them steady the ship on countless occasions and reach new heights in the process.
Younus and Misbah were deeply engrossed in a storyline that was full of emotions, more lows than highs, and the highs underappreciated. When Misbah went down at Lord’s, he picked up Pakistan’s crest that had been lying in the dirt since 2010 and proudly placed it on the honour boards for upcoming generations ...

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You can argue whether Islamabad United were worthy winners of the competition based on their overall performance, the format of Pakistan Super League (PSL) or your personal affinities but there is no denying that (PSL) has been undeniably a resounding success. All the ‘cricket analysts’ claiming PSL was a failure before it even started must be eating a lot of humble pie right now.
It also proved that claims by the older players that there was not enough younger talent coming through were false. About time some of them consider retirement!
The best in my opinion being Mohammad Nawaz.
Mohammad Nawaz is ...

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The highly anticipated player drafting of the Pakistan Super League T20 tournament began in grand fashion today. The crème de la crème of Pakistan cricket came together for a lavish ceremony at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.
The day began with the unveiling of the Karachi Kings franchise logo, and the big news that Javed Afridi’s Peshawar Zalmi franchise had traded with Islamabad for the first pick of the player draft. This would have a massive impact on future selections, which the Islamabad franchise has utilised quite well.
As expected, Peshawar immediately picked Pakistan T20 captain Shahid Afridi as their ...

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Inexperience doesn’t pay – but getting better sure does. The immaturity and inexperience would bring disgrace to any young team, but one dynamic leader in the middle-order could bring the ship to right direction. Younus Khan, the one mature enough in his prime form and who solidly worked on and off the field to make an impressive score in cricketing circles for Pakistan was also followed by the grand milestones.
“I am playing for the nation of Pakistan and it makes me feel so proud whenever I walk on the ground. I owe it to my coaches, family, and friends and above all ...

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Six years ago, Muttiah Muralidharan bowled his last over against Khurram Manzoor in Lahore, after which Pakistan saw the deadliest international cricket draught ever in its history. But yesterday, that barren spell was broken, when a fearless Anwar Ali bowled the first over of the T20 match between Pakistan and Zimbabwe – marking the end of a dark era.
The Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore was jam-packed and lit brightly for all to see the return of international cricket to Pakistan.
Pakistani batsman Ahmed Shehzad (R) congratulates to his teammate Mukhtar Ahmed after scoring 50 runs against Zimbabwe during the ...

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A few days ago, I read a blog by a passionate Misbahul Haq fan, thanking the Pakistan captain for all that he has achieved, and asking his forgiveness on behalf of the fans who have harangued and disrespected him for so long.
Photo: AFP
Like almost all other reflections on Misbah, this one described him by describing Shahid Afridi first, and explaining that Misbah was all that Lala is not. When I asked some Misbah fans why he is not contextualised in Pakistani society the way Afridi is, someone answered that it is because honest and hardworking people never get anywhere in Pakistan.
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Pakistan’s World Cup campaign came to an end yesterday, and while many expected the Aussies to emerge victorious, very few had expected Wahab Riaz to put up a fight the way he did.
Photo: AFP
Pakistan’s batting and fielding proved to be the biggest shortcoming yesterday, yet again, and defending a measly total of 213 proved too much for the bowlers this time. While Australia managed to dominate most of the match, there was a short spell of 12 overs or so when this was not the case.
In a single spell of six overs, Wahab showcased an epic display of fast-bowling which had ...

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I was barely six-years-old when Diego Maradona’s individual brilliance almost singlehandedly won the World Cup for Argentina in Mexico. For a boy watching the event with his sports crazy family, the event was electric, with the iconic images of Maradona dancing through the opposition, and eventually lifting the trophy, forever imprinted in my brain.
Equally iconic were the images of Maradona crying four years later, after his side was cruelly penalised by the referee in the final against West Germany. Even later, when Maradona shed tears after struggling with substance abuse, I shared his pain, and supported my hero, ignoring the fact that he ...